I had a new red 1972 Buick Centurion convertible. It was simply beautiful and one of the best looking Buicks of all time. It had good workmanship and I did not experience any problem. What a great car! My 1966 Wildcat was very similar.
My dad had 72 Electra. Back then they had a ride and handling suspension option with heavier springs, shocks, and sway bars. It cost about 20 dollars extra and made all the difference in the world in how the car handled.
I had a 72 Electra. To help with the big marshmallow ride I found that wearing the lap and shoulder belts really kept me in place and enhanced the ride and drive and as a teenager I knew that the added safety aspect was a plus. Fast forward to 1978 and a drunk driver in a Cadillac crossed the center line and hit me head on .because of the size of the car and the fact that I was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts in the crash, I walked away with only bruises from the belts which was far better than the unbelted other driver who had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel.
They called it Centurion for a good reason, it is built like a tank. What a shame we don't have nice big comfortable cars like this any more. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
They are TOO BIG for the smaller parking lot measurements these days, I too remember when they accomodated the big cars. Now it's tough to park a Nissan Maxima, unless you live in a smaller city where they still have the old lots!
I really liked the front end design's of the 1972 full sized Buick's, they looked really smooth and clean, I consider 1972 to be the last good year of the classic automobiles before they've really started to decline with the Emission Control devices, smog pumps and pollution controls.
I consider 1972 to be the last of the good years for the automobiles before the quality and the powertrains really started to decline, I've always liked the 1971-72 Buick Centurion's (didn't like the front ends of the 1973's at all)
@redbuick I owned a base-trim level '73 LeSabre from '93 to about '98 that had the optional 455 and 2.75 axle instead of the 3.08 that came with the 350. It ran effortlessly but in the summer when I'd stop after being on the highway, the water would surge out of the overflow jug--it may have had a bad radiator cap I'm think after all these years.
Very well built and could go like a bat out of HELL considering the weight. Remember these types of cars well in the mid 80's as high school cruisers, usually hand me downs from dad or grandpa.
204 ft from 60 to zero doesn't seem very impressive by today's standards. But you have to remember that you're stopping a car that weighs over 4,000lbs.
+Jason Carpp Heavy with 4500 pounds true. Plus the tires and wheels are smaller too. Buick Enclave is heavier at 5000 pounds, but their big tires and big wheels help with handling, however. Buick Enclave handles better than 1972 Buick too. I do like the big V-8, however. V-6 is fine, but V-8 is better.
Not only over 4000lbs in a huge car - and with smaller tires, but the compounds of tires then are totally different than now and would make a giant difference. You could literally replace nothing but the tires and easily knock 40ft off that stopping distance, and probably had a .5 second to the 0-60, if not more. The leap in tire technology has been one of the biggest automobile technology leaps we've had and it's one most people don't give a second thought to.
The tires on some of those high speed turns were reminiscent of an ice figure skater with weak ankles. But this was a beautifully styled car, gave a whipped cream highway ride in near total silence. It also had the best air conditioning system in the industry. Even Rolls Royce used GM's Frigidaire air conditioning back then.
GM's A/C was the best. My buddy had a 65 Chevelle with the factory air conditioning that was never cracked open. Never lost freon and would freeze you even in the summer.
The magnetic clutch in GM's A/C compressors back in those days didn't cycle on and off as most cars do; the system used a bypass valve which cycled on and off instead.
@citrusparkguy Those are the beautiful Buick road wheels which the division began using with very slight alterations to the hub design each year since 1963.
I currently own a 1972 Buick Electra Limited 2dr. that I am selling, Buick;s are great cars. I loved all of the GM cars of that area, styling, personality, performance, distinction, etc ; I owned a 72 2dr. Centurion, that some creep stole off the street while parking, and it needed restoring.
Yep those cars looked alot better then cars that are being produced now I have a 72 pontiac catalina coupe similar to the style of this centurion but a they're both different in style at the same time I got mine from my uncles junkyard last year and last on the road in 97' and was insured and plated on the road in 2019. I can definitely tell you i won't be getting rid of mine I like it.
Handled pretty good for a car of its size that was tuned for a soft cushy ride. The stopwatch timing was flawed, 0-50 in 5.2 second, sounds reasonable for the 455 and 4500lbs but it couldn't have taken another 4 seconds to reach 60? s
I think this video is so awesome because they told the truth lol. Now everything is 30 seconds and in small writing. Who needs stopping power when your car weighs 4500
They're simulating how real drivers drive - their 0-60 is just nailing the pedal, their 60-0 is just nailing the other pedal. These are called actual driving conditions, not putting a race car driver in a car just to get the best stats you can. Also, having driven these types of cars growing up since they were very cheap by the early 90s, panic stopping in these is nothing like what you're use to. The tires back then were complete garbage and the car would skip all over, plus the brakes generally locked up really quickly - and letting off pressure didn't mean the brakes would always let go - they always had the power brake assist way too high and there was seemingly a delay in doing everything when doing anything that was in a panic.
The 60's was the golden age of engineering--the best engines, transmissions, AC's and other systems were developed to near perfection. Then from '70 on, after the government came on board in '66, it was all undone under the pressure of safety and emission controls and other regs. The bean counters took over and all the great performance built up from 1949 to 1970 was lost. In '76, there wasn't one production American car that could get to 60 in under 10 seconds!
Even on my 1995 Cadillac Brougham, the power steering would cut out on fast turns of the wheel. On sharp right turns, the fuel would cut out too. Otherwise, it was an awesome car!
The beauty of GM at this time was each division offered something different Cadillac obviously led the way but Buick, Pontiac and oldsmobile each offered something unique
All Flint MI built to in buick city! Its depressing now to see what is left of buick city this was from the hey day i owned a 75 Electra for a while it was a wonderful car with the Buick 455 like floating down the road.
He had to have meant 70mph since all the other tests are from 70mph and normally end up around 200ft - even the sister models of this car are in that same range.
Holy body roll. Overall, it does well. A 16x8" wheel of the same style, with a modern radial tire would tighten it up a bit. New suspension bushings. These cars behave fairly well.
Brings back memories. These types of rides were my teenage rides. I had one of these, a 72 Electra 2 door, a 72 Impala 2 door, and a 74 Cutlass... Drifting these big boats was a blast and I didn't have a closed course LOL
In 1999 I had the opportunity to buy a 1973 225 Limited, 4 door, with all options. It needed a new top and hood, but everything else was great, even plastic still on the seats. I wanted that car (back when gas was .85 cents/gallon) but had no place to store it. Oh well...
Great cars. solid, heavy, big engines. If you could apply the galvanized paint, anti lock and with asbestos and not that new shit on brakes that does not work as well, along with no CAFE standards we would see great cars today too. Fuck these little pissy engines and tiny seat compartment areas...what about guys like me who are 6' 1? Damnt I don't want Europe here. I want American made and American like cars!
That was the secret of any chance of having a little performance in the 70's! You had to have each division's big block (440, 455, 460) which by then barely made 200 HP, but the huge displacement gave a semblance of the old performance. A good combo in '76 would have been a 460 in a 4,200 lb. Torino, but that was the last year in the Torinos. They lasted two more years in the big Fords, Mercs and Lincolns.
The 1970s was the final decade of these Giant American Land Yachts so I guess they saw the writing on the wall with the looming Fuel Crisis and Government Regulations In the years Following.
It's hard to believe that the brakes would heat up and fade when they're locked on when doing these tests. lol Brake tests are supposed to test the brakes right? NOT the tires.
"Although we did find that the power steering unit would hesitate and cut out halfway thru the run".....Uhhh what?...Isn't this suppoed to be a NEW CAR!..LOL
The awful paint job is a perfect example of the decline of GM in the 1970s--they thought they were the only game in town and they could give a sh$##. Look closely-the hood, fenders and door paint do not match. At all.
I agree. G.M. have cars now that rival the imports in reliability, safety, and design. G.M. now builds quality vehicles and competes globally with some of the best cars the world has to offer. It comes at a price though. HIGH unemployment. Personally, I was happy when the "Big Three" were competing amongst themselves and had their obsolescence rates gears for MAXIMUM employment. Sure, we had to replace parts more often but, that kept the people of this country employed.
I loved the atmosphere of this video, I was cracking up when he said the stability was good but that Buick had the body roll of an escalade with 60's Cadillac suspension 😂
Don't ever complain about high unemployment or the economy in general since I am quite sure that you are aware that over 50% of ALL jobs in this country depend on the auto industry. Don't complain about the high cost of your new car either. You have no right.
although i love my lesabre t-type coupe,and super charged regal gs sedan, i would have loved to drive a big burly 455 powered brute like that. to see these cars perform that good back then makes me wish i could go back in time.
lol this boat has the same 30 and 60 mph times as the 68 455 h/o 442 lol detuned my arse! this thing screams for its size! my buddies mom had a Riviera similar to this and it just fried tires with that 455 beast under the hood. ☆☆
C'mon folks. These are older cars. They handled the exact way anything at 4500lbs would have handled back then. These cars are awesome. Don't underestimate straight line muscle.
it weighs 4050 not 4500. says that in the video and i own a 72 small block one its about 3900 lbs so the with the big block thats dead on. less than a new camaro.
I like how you could still get a good amount of power and performance on most of the vehicles built during the 1971-72 period despite the lower compression engine's many cars were dealing with during these two years.
Had a almost new '72 Electra-a little bigger than the Centurion. What a cushy ride-unfortunately the Oil Crisis had hit, and I got a good deal on it, took several trips to Florida from Ohio, and never had a problem. But it was HUGE!
Cars and even trucks made before 1973 or 1974 are far better rigs for sure. Love that big block Buick V-8 at 455 CID too, or 7.5L too. Bigger engines rule! I love 4 barrel carburetors too. No need for computer junk too. It runs on both unleaded and leaded fuel for sure. Heavy at 4500 pounds too! The big GMs with big block V-8s can tow 7000 pounds for sedans and coupes too. Wagons were rated at 6000 pounds for towing too!
+Bryan Tint They were better looking, and much stronger than the junk we started getting by the middle 70's. But don't knock fuel injection and computerized engine controls. Back then, when the temps went below zero, carburetor-equipped cars didn't start reliably. Every car had a routine to learn, i.e. Pump the gas twice then hold it halfway down or some little ritual. You had to learn what to do if you flooded the engine, and sometimes moisture would freeze the fuel float causing the engine to get massively flooded. If it did start, it might stall out several times before you could keep it running, even if it was a newer model. We used to refer to a car that was finicky in frigid temps as being 'cold blooded'. Now there is no such thing. Even fifteen below zero you turn the key and the thing starts and runs perfectly. Carburetors were antique devices that couldn't begin to compare to what we have today. I can remember my dad buying a brand new 1973 Ford van and it had a manual choke knob on it! Automatic chokes were trouble prone and complicated little devils.
+DYNO DON I remember a morning in about 1975 when it was 15 below zero and the gas station where i hung out (as an 18 year old) got inundated with calls from customers needing jump starts. My Ford van was running and warmed up and I went out giving jumps for $5 apiece and made $70 before lunchtime - darned good money then, equal to about $300 today. All from customers of the gas station whose cars killed the battery in the process of trying to get started. And I was only handling the overflow, the regular tow truck driver was getting first crack at all the business he could handle. Fuel injection and electronic engine controls are among the good things to come out of all the emissions laws... now you can get a Dodge Charger that's quicker and faster than any of the real musclecars - and gets 3x the fuel mileage and clean exhaust to boot.
That's all we knew, I was 16 in 1976 driving my Mother's 72 four door Torino that was the same size, I used to be able to throw that thing around pretty good.
I had the Really big brother of this car, a 72 4 door lesaber. when I pulled the motor and trans out of the Lesaber, It still tipped the scales at 5700 lbs when I sent it to the crusher. I still have the 455 in a Nova and that motor (Even with the 8-1 compression) is still a stump puller. may have only had 250 HP but it turned a whopping 480 lbft of toqure.
My friend had a 1972 Gran Prix with a 455, which is basically this same car - meanwhile I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket it. We raced once, and only once, and the results were I killed him off the line - and up until about 60 mph, then that big heavy piece of garbage got momentum going and with that 455 kicking in it blew past me and just keep going and going. That car was big and heavy and slow right off the line, but once it starts moving it takes off like a rocket and pulls you back into the seat.
Do you mean why did I use that term or what does it mean? It just seemed appropriate when the same car in 1973 was fitted with a weak-sister 350 as compared to the big, brawny 455 in '72. All cars were losing power and gaining weight as the 70's progressed. By '76, Buick was putting a V-6 in a 4,500 lb. LeSabre and in latter part of the year replacing the 455 with a 350 in a 5,000 lb. Electra 225!
@MNBluestater Same on the right side, too! '71 was the beginning of GM's poor quality. This generation of GM cars rusted where the "C" pillars joined the body, across the front of the hood and around the rear window. In '74, all GM models except for Cadillacs had side trim that was stuck on with glue and within about six months pieces would start falling off both sides, leaving ugly black marks where they had been.
@Doobie1975 The Centurion ostensibly replaced the Wildcat that ended in 1970, but nothing could really replace that high compression 455 with 370 HP! The '71 and '72 Centurions were decent cars even with a low-comp 455, but by '73 with the 350 standard, it was just a glorified under-powered LeSabre--performance was dead by that time.
This was a different time where the engineering compared to today's was rather simpler, its no wonder these cars wallowed, pitched and understeered like mad at corners, they weighed rather alot and had treacle for suspension. They may be crude and inefficient by today's standard, but then again do you love something for its efficiency? My laptop is a pretty efficient and useful device but i don't love it. I mean just look at it, it is a piece of art, very characterful. Ideal for its environment.
I never owned a BMW, Renault, Datsun, Nissan, Saab, Yugo or Saab. Together with Toyota, Nissan and Honda, Mitsubishi, they were only a tiny fraction of sales in the US compared to the Big three. But indeed, Peugeot, Renault, Fiat left the US market in disgrace. The point is I never considered those cars only US made ones at that time and they were pretty bad compared to today. I did buy an Accord in 1980, drove it for 180,000 miles rust free.
It's worth mentioning the US auto industry has mostly moved to canada and mexico, where they assemble cars from parts made in china. What you're seeing is the endgame of any industry in a capitalist economy: high production numbers, low profit margins, costs saved everywhere. I don't particuarly care, though. I will never buy a brand new car, probably never own another one. As far as I'm concerned they are the worst personal transport around today.
Oh, I know. I also know you don't have a clue. GM and the rest had DECADES to improve their cars. But they didn't. So why should I hand over my hard earned money for something that doesn't last. Don't tell me about rights, I have the right to spend my money as I wish to buy what I want. If the product is substandard, they will know about it. I put the blame squarely on GM, Ford and Chrysler for making crap cars in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I have first hand experience.
Wow, what a drama Queen. Take a tranquilizer and learn some history. I've been driving since the 1950's so I know from personal experience how cars operate, perform and last. It took competition from Japan to force domestic car makers to improve their cars. She's right you know. My grandson just drove 2,800 from his school for spring break. His car? A twenty three year old Honda Accord. My 1967 Caprice, purchased new, was pretty much washed up in 6 years battling 4 toddlers.
Yup... smaller engines, bigger cars... what a DISASTER! In 1977, I had a '72 Chrysler New Yorker when I was 17 (up until I ran the PISS out of it 5 years later..never changed the transmission fluid and the damn thing konked out on me LOL, oh well, at 22 y.o., who knew, right?) That damn thing weighed 2.5 tons, was 19.5 ft long and had a 440 cid 4-barrel engine, cranking out 350 hp..now THAT was a car! Then I down-sized to a 77 Buick Regal with a 350 cid engine.. what a horrible letdown!
@85buickV8 Ain't that the truth! I have never owned a FWD or AWD car..always RWD And I have never had anti-lock brakes until my 2010 Mercury and I never get stuck in snow or spin out of control? Why? because I know how to drive. I love passing SUVs off the side of the road on snowy days because they think they are invincible. Or FWDs that spin the front wheels when accelerating because they don't have enough sense to downshift.
You can also blame VW,Audi,BMW,Peugeot,Renault,Datsun/Nissan,Honda,Toyota,Mitsubishi,Fiat,Sabb,Yugo,and Volvo for making crap cars in the 60's,70's and most of the 80's.All made unreliable crap cars that didn't last 50,000 miles in some cases and had severe rust problems. Hell some of these makes were the biggest death traps on the road.
@MaximusRelaximus - That was par for the course back then. Most cars were rather softly sprung. @Monk543 - It's partly bias-ply tires and the rest is basic Newtonian physics - Large mass = big momentum. @snowman4839 - 4,500 lbs was average for this size car at the time. The four door version probably had a few extra pounds added on.
Hello... think about it... these cars were built for well-bred people with well-bred families, and for Grandpa and Grandpa to enjoy... not some PUNK to take corners at 70 mph... they were fabulous cars made for people that knew how to drive them, unlike the maniacs on today's roads
Nah. Just look around you. How many 60's,70's and 80's Euro and Jap cars do you see? I seldom see any Euro and not that many Japanese. Most Old cars on U.S Highways are American makes.
Which is a total shame about cars in 1976 'cause the only other car I REALLY REALLY want besides the '64 Electra is a 1976 Cadillac Sedan deVille, because of the 500 CID engine!
"They had decades to improve their cars but they didn't" Why was that? You are actually handing over MORE money for something that DOES last. It comes at the expense of MILLIONS of jobs and HIGHER car prices though. You would rather have MILLIONS of people out of work? That doesn't bother you? You actually LIKE the European economy that you ARE, whether you realize it or not, transferring here when you buy foreign? That does not bother you?
Learn some history? If you ONLY knew. LOL So, Japan made their obsolescence rates different from ours and you fell for it. So be it. NEVER compain about the economy, unemployment, or the high price you now have to pay for a domestic car OR a foreign made car though. You no longer have that right. I'm sure you are smart enough to realize that much. Domestic car makers could have done the same thing. We could have made 500,000 miles cars YEARS ago. MILLIONS would have been unemployed though.
There are just as many older American cars on the road with just as many miles on them as foreign cars. The difference? Parts for the foreign cars are up to 4 TIMES more than for American cars. Oh, another difference? These older cars were 10 highway cruisers while those you mentioned where and still are 4 hour citymobiles at best. 10 hours in a Honda or BMW? LMBO! I'd be sore the whole next day. I know. I have done it. LOLOL
I must have said 1000 times, Why the f___k did Buick phase out the Invictas, Wildcats,and Centurions. They were the original full sized muscle cars that had sterling qualities. 1. Great ride.2.great handling for size.3. great brakes. An important safety feature.4.great body style.5.Very roomy. Important for long trips.6.Rock solid. construction.7. Very powerful and reliable engines.8. Better gas mileage than Caddys or Linncolns and can out perform them and run rings around them.
That is because G.M. is one of the few companies which is involved in the N.A.F.T.A. program. That benefits all of us. What we are truly seeing is the globalization of the auto industry as the one world economy is arriving. There will be a one world currency to go along with it. The work force is being politically altered to share the employment.
I'm sure glad I don't think like you! I drive these big Buick's all the time for the last 20 years, having three of them, and parts are cheap and easy to find, they are easy to work on, they don't really need much fixing though.
Allot of discussion about braking performance here...I always had to laugh watching the Lindeman hotfoot drivers locking the brakes up 100% every time, every car....rediculous! I have owned a number of Big Buicks through the years and can tell you I could stop my 1974 Buick Gran Sport 455 in allot shorter distance by just NOT locking up the breaks....it is called THRESHOLD BRAKING .....! Brake until you hear the tires just barely start to screech and MODULATE the brake as hard as you can until the car stops... I had a 69 Electra 4 door that had huge 15" Aluminum finned drums in the front, and I could launch the passenger through the windshield with those brakes...I had to worn people to put on the belt or else...then give them a demo...ah..ya they worked.
MY GOD!!! Stopping from 60 in 204ft!!!!!! I think with modern tires it might stop a little better, but not much. My 05 Magnum RT does the same thing in abt half the distance, apples and oranges, I know. You drive these cars much more defensively than a modern one.
